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Michigan State and USC square off in first round of NCAA Tournament

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

USC Trojans (22-10, 14-6 Pac-12) vs. Michigan State Spartans (19-12, 11-8 Big Ten)Columbus, Ohio; Friday, 12:15 p.m. EDTFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Michigan State -1.5; over/under is 137.5BOTTOM LINE: The Michigan State Spartans play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against the USC Trojans.The Spartans are 11-8 against Big Ten opponents and 8-4 in non-conference play. Michigan State averages 70.2 points while outscoring opponents by 2.8 points per game.The Trojans are 14-6 against Pac-12 teams. USC averages 72.8 points and has outscored opponents by 5.5 points per game.TOP PERFORMERS: Tyson Walker is scoring 14.6 points per game and averaging 2.5 rebounds for the Spartans. Joey Hauser is averaging 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds over the last 10 games for Michigan State.Boogie Ellis is scoring 18.0 points per game and averaging 3.7 rebounds for the Trojans. Drew Peterson is averaging 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds over the last 10 games for USC.LAST 10 GAMES: Spartans: 5-5, averag...

Phillies face the Reds with 1-0 series lead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Cincinnati Reds (3-3) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2-5)Philadelphia; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Nick Lodolo (0-0); Phillies: Bailey Falter (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -142, Reds +121; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies take a 1-0 advantage into the latest game of the series against the Cincinnati Reds.Philadelphia had an 87-75 record overall and a 47-34 record at home last season. The Phillies averaged 3.0 extra base hits per game, including 1.3 home runs.Cincinnati went 62-100 overall and 29-52 on the road a season ago. The Reds pitching staff put up a 4.86 ERA collectively last season while averaging 9.0 strikeouts and 3.9 walks per nine innings.INJURIES: Phillies: Darick Hall: 10-Day IL (thumb), Josh Harrison: day-to-day (ankle), Noah Song: 15-Day IL (back), Cristopher Sanchez: 15-Day IL (left tricep), Bryce Harper: 10-Day IL (elbow), Rafael Marchan: 60-Day IL (hand), Nick Nelson: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Ranger Suarez: 15-...

Atlanta Braves play the San Diego Padres Saturday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

San Diego Padres (4-4) vs. Atlanta Braves (6-2)Atlanta; Saturday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Michael Wacha (0-0); Braves: Charlie Morton (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -164, Padres +140; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves host the San Diego Padres on Saturday.Atlanta went 101-61 overall and 55-26 in home games last season. The Braves scored 4.9 runs per game in the 2022 season while allowing 3.8.San Diego went 89-73 overall and 45-36 on the road a season ago. The Padres averaged 8.1 hits per game last season and totaled 153 home runs.INJURIES: Braves: Michael Harris II: 10-Day IL (back), Collin McHugh: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Max Fried: 15-Day IL (left hamstring), Huascar Ynoa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kolby Allard: 60-Day IL (oblique), Tyler Matzek: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Wright: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Raisel Iglesias: 15-Day IL (shoulder)Padres: Joe Musgrove: 15-Day IL (toe), Robert Suarez: 15-Day IL (elbow), Adam Engel: 10-Day IL (hamstring), ...

Colorado Rockies play the Washington Nationals Saturday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Washington Nationals (2-6) vs. Colorado Rockies (3-5)Denver; Saturday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Trevor Williams (0-0); Rockies: Austin Gomber (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Rockies -141, Nationals +119; over/under is 10 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies host the Washington Nationals on Saturday.Colorado had a 68-94 record overall and a 41-40 record at home last season. The Rockies averaged 8.7 hits per game last season and totaled 149 home runs.Washington had a 55-107 record overall and a 29-52 record on the road last season. The Nationals averaged 8.3 hits per game in the 2022 season with 2.5 extra base hits per game.INJURIES: Rockies: Daniel Bard: 15-Day IL (anxiety), Randal Grichuk: 10-Day IL (hernia), Antonio Senzatela: 15-Day IL (knee), Lucas Gilbreath: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tyler Kinley: 60-Day IL (elbow), Brendan Rodgers: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Sean Bouchard: 60-Day IL (biceps), Ryan Rolison: 60-Day IL (shoulder)Nationals: Luis Garcia: day-to-day (ha...

Cardinals aim to break 4-game slide, play the Brewers

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

St. Louis Cardinals (2-5) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (6-1)Milwaukee; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cardinals: Jordan Montgomery (0-0); Brewers: Eric Lauer (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -141, Brewers +119; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals, on a four-game losing streak, take on the Milwaukee Brewers.Milwaukee had an 86-76 record overall and a 46-35 record at home last season. The Brewers averaged 7.8 hits per game in the 2022 season with 3.0 extra base hits per game.St. Louis went 93-69 overall and 40-41 on the road a season ago. The Cardinals slugged .420 as a team last season with 3.1 extra base hits per game.INJURIES: Brewers: Justin Wilson: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Urias: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Aaron Ashby: 15-Day IL (labrum), Adrian Houser: 15-Day IL (groin), Tyrone Taylor: 10-Day IL (elbow), Jason Alexander: 60-Day IL (shoulder)Cardinals: Packy Naughton: day-to-day (undisclosed), Lars Nootbaar: 10-Day IL (thumb), Paul DeJong: 10-D...

Mets play the Marlins with 1-0 series lead

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Miami Marlins (3-5) vs. New York Mets (4-4)New York; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Trevor Rogers (0-0); Mets: Kodai Senga (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -162, Marlins +138; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets lead 1-0 in a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.New York had a 101-61 record overall and a 54-27 record at home last season. The Mets pitching staff averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings while giving up 3.7 runs per game in the 2022 season.Miami went 69-93 overall and 35-46 on the road a season ago. The Marlins averaged 7.7 hits per game last season and totaled 144 home runs.INJURIES: Mets: Omar Narvaez: 10-Day IL (calf), Sam Coonrod: 60-Day IL (lat), Bryce Montes de Oca: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tommy Hunter: 15-Day IL (back), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (teres major), Stephen Ridings: 15-Day IL (lat), Edwin Diaz: 60-Day IL (knee), Elieser Hernandez: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Jose Quintana: 15-Day IL (rib)Marlins: Joey Wendle: 1...

Arizona Diamondbacks host the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (5-2) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (3-4)Phoenix; Saturday, 8:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Noah Syndergaard (0-0); Diamondbacks: Zach Davies (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -149, Diamondbacks +128; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Arizona Diamondbacks face the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.Arizona had a 74-88 record overall and a 40-41 record in home games last season. The Diamondbacks averaged 7.6 hits per game last season while batting a collective .230.Los Angeles had a 111-51 record overall and a 54-27 record on the road last season. The Dodgers averaged 8.7 hits per game last season and totaled 212 home runs.INJURIES: Diamondbacks: Cole Sulser: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Corbin Martin: 60-Day IL (lat), Carson Kelly: 10-Day IL (forearm), Mark Melancon: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Joe Mantiply: 15-Day IL (shoulder)Dodgers: Miguel Rojas: day-to-day (groin), Alex Reyes: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Ryan Pepiot: 15-Day IL (oblique), Jimmy Nelson: 15-Day IL (e...

Russia charges WSJ reporter with espionage: Report

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Russia’s security services, the FSB, formally charged U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal’s Moscow bureau, with charges of espionage, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Friday, adding that Gershkovich denies the charges.TASS quoted an unnamed person as saying that “the FSB investigation charged Gershkovich with espionage in the interests of his country. He categorically denied all accusations and stated that he was engaged in journalistic activities in Russia.”The filing of charges and a response from the accused represent the formal start of a criminal probe, the Associated Press reported.Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg on March 29. He could face up to 20 years in jail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Gershkovich had been caught “red handed.” The Wall Street Journal denies the accusations. U.S. President Joe Biden has called for his immediate release.On Thursday, the U.S am...

More than 191,000 Hydro-Quebec customers still without power in Montreal after storm

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

Nearly 300,000 Hydro-Quebec customers are still without power, days after an ice storm hit southern Quebec and eastern Ontario.The utility is scheduled to hold a news conference this morning to provide an update on the restoration process.Most of the outages affect Montreal, where as of 4 a.m. nearly 192,000 customers were still in the dark.Montérégie is the second most affected region, where more than 32,000 customers are without electricity, followed by Laval with more than 30,000.  The storm is being blamed for three deaths, with the most recent a 75-year old man in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Que. who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in his garage.  Montreal’s health authority says dozens of people have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning after using outdoor appliances inside during the blackout.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2023.The Canadian Press

Selfie sticks bloom beneath Vancouver’s cherry blossoms, as petal power goes global

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:56:51 GMT

It’s springtime in Metro Vancouver, when thickets of selfie sticks and tourists sprout up beneath canopies of the region’s famous cherry blossoms.On Sussex Avenue in Burnaby, east of Vancouver, a group of five fashionably dressed women set up an iPhone on a tripod under the blossoms. One accessorizes with a green scarf then pauses to give instructions to her friends, adjusting their angles, just so, for the perfect shot. They’re too busy to talk, as they strike a series of poses, hands on hips.Such scenes are familiar for Linda Poole, founder and creative director of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from April 1 to 23.She recalls the sight of tourists getting out of a tour bus at Queen Elizabeth Park, one of Vancouver’s most popular locations for blossom viewing.“And they are literally dancing under the blossoms and singing and modelling and posing. It’s really cute. I see that all the time,” said Poole.Vancouver’s cherry blossoms have ...